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Tuesday June 11 2013

A PENNDOT-HIRED CONTRACTOR RECENTLY TRIMMED TREES DRASTICALLY ALONG BROAD AVENUE IN ALTOONA AND RESIDENTS ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. CITY PLANNING DIRECTOR LEE SLUSSER TELLS THE ALTOONA MIRROR PENNDOT DID NOT APPLY FOR A PERMIT FOR THE WORK ALONG THE PROTECTED HISTORIC CORRIDOR AND THE WORK DOESN’T MEET THE CITY’S TREE-TRIMMING STANDARDS. A PENNDOT SPOKESMAN SAYS THE TREES WERE CUT BACK TO IMPROVE MOTORIST SAFETY BY REDUCING THE RISK OF FALLING LIMBS…AND TO OPEN THE STREET TO SUNLIGHT TO PREVENT ICING in the WINTER. PENNDOT PLANS TO RE-EXAMINE ITS POLICIES.

working on a state budget

REPUBLICANS WHO CONTROL THE STATE HOUSE LINED UP BEHIND THE G-O-P’S 28-POINT-3 BILLION DOLLAR STATE BUDGET PLAN YESTERDAY, BLOCKING DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS TO ADD SPENDING FOR EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE. HOUSE SPEAKER SAM SMITH RULED A SERIES OF DEMOCRATIC AMENDMENTS OUT OF ORDER ON GROUND THEY DID NOT INCLUDE CUTS TO OFF-SET THE PROPOSED NEW SPENDING. REPUBLICANS WANT TO BOOST PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING BY 100-MILLION DOLLARS AND CUT BUSINESS TAXES BY MORE THAN 300-MILLION IN THE FISCAL YEAR THAT STARTS JULY 1ST. A FINAL HOUSE VOTE COULD COME TODAY.

STATE COLLEGE TAX HIKE

STATE COLLEGE school district residents will see a 2-point-7 percent tax increase in the coming school year. the board voted last night 6 to 1 in favor of the 119 MILLION DOLLAR spending plan which will cost the average HOME owner an extra 73 dollars. Salaries and benefits TOTAL about 71 percent of the budget, but the district will not replace about half of the 58 vacant positions to keep costs down.

cheerleader critically injured

2 more Penn State students have pleaded guilty for their roles in supplying alcohol FOR AN OCTOBER PARTY THAT LED TO CRITICAL INJURIES FOR PENN STATE CHEERLEADER PAIGE RAQUE WHO FELL FROM A 5TH FLOOR APARTMENT WINDOW IN STATE COLLEGE. Megan Markovitz and Tempest Hourston will serve a year probation, perform community service and pay fines. They joined 5 OTHERS IN ACCEPTING PLEA DEALS. ONE MORE CASE IS STILL PENDING. Raque CONTINUES RECOVERING AT HER HOME IN Kentucky.

Death ruled SUICIDE

in april, 24 year old joshua zornberg jumped from a 6th floor window at the university gateway apartments in state college…now centre county coroner scott sayers says Marijuana and an anti-depressant were found in his body and the death has been ruled a suicide. Zornberg was a former student at Penn State.

10 TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

A BLAIR COUNTY JUDGE YESTERDAY AGREED TO A PLEA DEAL IN THE CASE AGAINST 38 YEAR OLD TODD DETEMPLE OF THE NEWRY AREA. IF APPROVED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SEXUAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW BOARD, HE WILL SERVE 10 TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. DETEMPLE WAS CHARGED WITH SENDING PHOTOS OF A 4 YEAR OLD LOCAL CHILD TO A CONVICTED SEXUAL OFFENDER IN CALIFORNIA. HE PLEADED GUILTY TO 7 COUNTS EACH OF DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORN.

19 calls to 911

FREEDOM TOWNSHIP POLICE SAY 48 YEAR OLD SONYA HILEMAN IS FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES AFTER SHE MADE 19 DRUNKEN 911 CALLS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR BACK ON MAY 31ST. HILEMAN ALLEGEDLY SHOUTED HOMOPHOBIC SLURS AND BLASTED MUSIC OVER THE PHONE. SHE TOLD POLICE SHE WAS TRYING TO CALL HER FATHER AND SHE ACCIDENTALLY CALLED 911. HILEMAN’S PRELIMINARY HEARING IS JULY 11TH.

PA-PREFERRED MILK

You can now buy milk that's labeled "PA Preferred." The Department of Agriculture applied the label to Giant Food Store brand milk yesterday. The label means the milk was produced and processed in Pennsylvania.